Apparatus for making oil gas



S2W;- Vf @9295 A. E. DICKERMAN PARTUS FOR MAKING OIL GAS Filed Aug. 25. 1922 k U l.

Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE ALLEN E. DICKERMAN, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GASGO POWER CORPORA- TION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR MAKING OIL GAS Application led August 25, 1922. Serial No. 584,202.

rlhis invention relates to the manufacture of gas, and is herein described in connection with an apparatus suitable for producing the gas at home in private houses, but the gas produced is adapted for other uses, and has been satisfactorily produced in much larger units of apparatus.

According to the present invention', oil and water are brought together in suitable prom portions and at a suitable temperature, with the result that a gas of high caloric and illuminating value is produced with little or no residue in the form of tar or normally condensible oil. rlhe production of coke may also be usually avoided. lf any coke should form, it is easily removed in the course of operating by suitably altering the proportions of oil and water.

rflhe apparatus for producing and handling the gas may be provided with connections, whereby the waste heat is used for heating water, for domestic or other purposes. rlhe oil and water may be introduced into the retort in liquid form within a feed chamber in which they are expanded into vapor form. They are preferably so guided within the retort that they do not come in contact with the hottest outside walls until after they are vaporized. In producing the gas, air is preferably excluded from the retort or reaction chamber wherein the oil and water react to produce the gas, and external heat is employed. The walls of the retort nearest the fire may be at red heat but a baille may be so formed and located that most or all of the oil and water are completely vaporized before reaching the walls, and circulate, in vapor form, before or after reacting, around the baille and near or against the hot retort walls. Although the retort is kept at or about red heat where hottest, the process works well when the consumption of fuel is small and the eiiluent illuminating gas is discharged at a lower temperature. A typical analysis of the gas showed 47 .1% of ethylene or heavier hydrocarbons serving as illuminante, 1.2% carbon monoxide, 13.2% hydrogen, 24.4% methane,l

10% ethane, 0.7% carbon dioxide, 0.8% oxy- 50 gen, and 2.6% nitrogen. The gas forms an excellent domestic fuel for use in standard or tanks. lt has been found that six hundredl to eight hundred cubic feet of this gas, with a caloritic value of 1700 B. t. u. per cubic foot, compressed at 1600 pounds to the square inch will be contained in a tank which holds i only some twohundred cubic feet of a commercial cutting gas consisting largely of hydrogen with a caloriiic value of only some 500 B. t. u. A large part of the gas of the present invention liquefies when so compressed, with the result that such a tank is two-thirds filled with liquefied gas while the remaining third of the tank above the liquid contains gas under pressure. This enables the gas to be drawn olf for cutting purposes by a pipe extending substantially to the bottom of the tank. The valve on this pipe, when open allows the liquefied gas to escape and immediately vaporize. Gas thus compressed is an excellent, convenient and economical fuel for internal combustion engines both for vehicles and for stationary power plants. Kerosene oil is a satisfactory raw material, but rather better results are obtained with some heavier oils, such as gas oil or fuel oil.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view largely in section, of a house- -hold size apparatus suitable to produce gas for domestic use.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view showing the arrangement of the pipes for heating the vaporous mixture.

To produce the desired gas in an apparatus of this size, oil is introduced through the inlet pipe 1, provided with a. sight feed needle valve 2, and water is introduced through an inlet pipe 3 cont-rolled by a sight feed needle valve 4, delivering the oil and water into a vertical pipe 5, which forms a vaporizing chamber for the retort 6.

In the pipe 5, the oil and water are largely or completely vaporized, because the retort is heated by a gas burner 6. The flame from this burner, as shown, does Vnot directly heat the vaporizing pipe 5, but heats the bottom end 7 of aretort in a chamber 8, so that the hot products of combustion are carried around the chamber and then past heating pipes 9, which will be described later, and lind their way out through an annular flue 10, surrounding the pipe 5. Thus the vaporizing pipe 5 is heated to a less degree than other parts of the retort, with the result that the oil and water are vaporized at a relatively moderate heat. The pipe 5, in the domestic size apparatus illustrated'herein, has been found satisfactory if a one-inch wrought iron pipe about fifteen inches long is used. At its bottom end, two projecting lugs 11 of which only one is shown are welded to a plate 14 so as to provide openings 12, 13, out of which the vapors of oil and water and any products of their reaction escape into the chamber 8. The vapors thus escaping are prevented from directly striking the hotbottom end 7 of the retort by the"` plate or baffle 14, which directs them side-ways, and has been found satisfactory in a retort of the size described -if formed of one-eighth inch steel and separated by a half-inch fromI the inside of the bottom end 7. A diameter of four inches has been found satisfactory for the plate or baffle 14. The vapors escaping just above this bale are prevented from directly rising through the pipes 9, because a second baffle 15 welded on to the pipe 5 near its lower end causes the vapors to spread outwardly to near the side 16 of the chamber 8. The battle 15 has been found satisfactory in a retort of the size described if six and onehalf inches in diameter and set one-half inch above the upper face of the baile 14.

As a result of the construction of these two baffles, the vaporizedswaten and oil and their roducts of reaction circulate in the cham- Eer 8, which has an upper plate 17 into which the pipes 9 are welded. 'The plate 17 has been found to be satisfactorily located in a retort of the size desscribed if spaced a half-inch from the surface of the baiiie 15. The vapors thus heated rise through the pipes 9, which have been found satisfactory in a retort of the character described if made' of threeeighths inch wrought iron pipe and one foot long. Thus they form a passage of increased area for the material now expanded to occupy a larger space, and a passage in which the vaporsy andgases are able to move relatively slowly and close to the heated surface of the pipes which increase in temperature downwardly, being at a red heat near the bottom. In the device. illustrated, there are thirty-six of the pipes 9 suitably grouped, as shown in Figure 2, in three concentric circles, so staggered upon the circles that the still hot products of combustion from the burner 6 have to pass close to the pipes. At their upper end, the pipes are welded into an upper plate or header 18 of the retort, so that they deliver finished gas into an annular chamber 19. This chamber is formed by the plate 18 and an annular top 20, to which are welded a cylindrical wall 21, forming the exterior of the annular flue 10, and a cylindrical wall 22 forming the outer wall of the annular chamber 19. The plate 18 has been found to be of satisfactory size in the device described, if its diameter is eight inches and the opening for the iue 10 is three inches in diameter.

The plates 7 and 17 have been found to be satisfactory if made of one-quarter inch wrought steel. The plates forming the annular top 20 and the cylindrical walls 21 and 22 have been found to be satisfactory if of three-sixteenths inch steel. The batiles 14 and 15 have been found to be satisfactory if made 0f one-eighth inchlsteel. The plate 20 is shown of larger. diameter than the other plate, so as to rest on the walls of a butt welded shell joint casing 23, which forms the outside of a furnace for the retort, and is lined with a layer 24, usually one inch in thickness, of asbestos. The shell 23 has been found to be satisfactory if twelve inches in diameter and made of one-sixteenth incih steel and provided with a flange at the top for supporting the plate 20. Much larger retorts have been operated successfully. In some of these, the one hundred and twelve pipes used corresponding to the pipes 9, were an inch and a half in diameter and 3 ft. 6 in. long, and the seven pipes 5 were an inch and a quarter in diameter. The other dimensions were varied to suit the circumstances of the case.

In the operation of the retort, the bottom is preferably kept at a low red heat, and a suitable quantity of oil and water is fed in to produce the gas, there usually being fed in one part of water to every six of oil. A pyrometer in the furnace underneath the retort read about 1200o F. when the process was working satisfactorily; 1400o F. seemed too high a temperature for good operation. A less quantity of water has sometimes been found satisfactory, although if too little is used, carbon or coke is produced upon the baiie 14. This carbon or coke may be removed without interrupting the operation of the retort by using an excess of water.

The device herein illustrated is one used Afor the heating of water for household purposes, as well as for producing gas for lighting andheating the same house. It is-adapted to produce about fifty cubic feet of gas an hour. For heating the water, the exit gas passing through the conduit 25 is carried to a cooler 26, comprising an upper chamber 27 and a lower chamber 28. In passing from the chamber 27 to the chamber 28, the gas passes through the one-inch cooling pipes 29, which are surrounded by water flowing through a cooling chamber 30, the pipes 29 are shown as welded to header plates 31 and 32, which are provided with suitable openings to accommodate the pipes 29 and which have been found satisfactory if eight inches in diameter and spaced about eight inches apart. The chamber 28 is provided with a drip cock 33, through which any condensed water, oil, or other material, carried over by the gas may be drawn off. The chamber 28 is provided with an exit conduit 34, which is usually, in turn, connected to a suitable gasometer or storage tank for the gas.

The waste heat of the products of combustion from the burner 6 may be utilized to further heat the water, or to heat a separate volume of water. For this purpose, the annular chamber 10 is provided with a hood 35, connected by a flue 36 to a water heater 37 which may be similar to the heater formed by the tubes 29 and 30. rThe water heater includes a lower chamber 38, from which the pipes 39 carrying the products of combustiony extend into an upper chamber 40, which in turn leads to a flue 41, usually connected to a chimney.

The two water heaters 37 29 and 30, are

provided with any suitable pipe connections 42 serving as water inlets and outlets. One method of obtaining hot water for household purposesis to carry the water through the lower or gas cooler and then through the heater 37, heated by the products of combustion, because it has been found that the latter furnished the most heat.

lf little hot water is drawn off it may be advisable to have a continuous circulation of cold water through the cooler 26, and to provide the usual domestic kitchen hot water storage tank for the heater 37. This insures that there is always a uniform temperaturev in the gas cooler 26.

It has been found advantageous to heat the material fed to the retort and in a gas retort of the size described it is usually advanta eous to heat the water only. To effect t is a coil 43 of the water feed pipe 3 is carried through the hood 40 above the pipes 39.

Any condensed material, whether oily or watery, collecting in the chamber 28 may be drawn oft' by the cook 23 and returned to the oil feed reservoir (not shown). Any water then settles to the bottom and the rest of the condensed material mixes with the oil and becomes gas in the ordinary operation of the process.

For firing the retort its own gaseous product may be used`,-about a tenth or less being sufficient. When this was used in the household device described a one-inch pipe with its open end flattened down to form an oval extension proved to be a satisfactory burner. This provided a peripheral opening 44 for the gas around the oval not over an eighth of an inch wide. If no gas is available to start the retort, a wood or coal fire may be built within the furnace beneath the bottom 7. To form a trap against the backing up of gas there may be provided a three-inch U-seal 45 intermediate the pipes having valves 2 and 4 and the pipe 5.

To enable the quality of the gas produced to be readily observed a test light 46 may be provided at the exit 34 from the chamber 28.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, by way of example only, what I claim is:

l. Oil gas apparatus, comprising an oil gas retort having a chamber, means for heating the chamber at one end, an oil vaporizing tube extending within the chamber thereby spaced away from its highly heated sides, and adapted to receive oil and water and deliver the vapors therefrom near the heated bottom end of the chamber, a baffle within said chamber adjacent the delivery point of the tube and spaced away from said heated end to keep the vapors away until further exposed to heat, gasifying tubes leading from said chamber, outwardly spaced from said vaporizing tube and exposed to further heat, and an exit conduit to carry 0E the oil gas after leaving the tubes.

2. Oil gas apparatus, comprising an oil gas retort having a chamber, a furnace for heating said chamber, an oil vaporizing tube for conveying oil and water into said chamber and for heating the material substantially to volatilization during said such conveyance, gasifying tubes leading upwardly from said chamber, outwardly spaced from said vaporizing tube and heated by the furnace to complete the gasification, and a flue for conveying away the heating gases after they have passed around said outer tubes and reached the inner oil vaporizing tube.

3. Oil gas apparatus, comprising an oil gas retort having a chamber, means to heat the chamber at one end, a central oil vaporizing tube leading to and delivering oil vapor into said chamber, a batlie in the chamber adapted to deflect the oil vapor from the hot bottom wall of the chamber, gasifying tubes forming part of the retort and outwardly spaced from said vaporizing tube, a second balilewithin said chamber between the first baille and the adjacent open ends of the gasifying tubes, and adapted to force the vapor flow toward the outer wall of the chamber, and a Hue adapted to convey away heating gases after heating the outer tubes.

4. Oil gas apparatus, including an oil gas retort having a heated bottom wal1an oil vaporizing tube extending within the retort and which delivers oil Vapor toward the bottom Wall; deiecting means connected to the tube for preventing the vapor oW from directly striking the heated bottom Wall and u for thereafter directing said ow along said Wall, outer gasifying tubes forming part of the retort adapted to gasify the heated oil vapor and effect further fixation, an annular chamber in Which said tubes terminate, and and a iue formed by said chamber around said central tube to convey away heating gases after heating the outer tubes.

In testimony whereof, have aixed my signature.

ALLEN E. DICKERMAN. 

